Secret-latch mechanism.



No. 856,558. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

- H. G. VOIGHT.

SECRET LATCH MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 23. 1907.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. VOIGIIT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO RUSSELL & ERWIN MANU ACTURING COMPANY, OF N EIV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 11, 1907.

Application filed January 23,1907. Serial No. 353,592.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. Voisn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Secret-Latch Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in to latch operating mechanism, the object being to provide a secret catch or latch normally preventing the operation. of the look, but which nevertheless is readily accessible when understood, whereby one familiar with the 5 lock may operate the same without the use of any key.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a lock constructed to embody my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the knobs, detached. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the rose plates. Fig. 5 is an end view of the sccret latch.

12 are plates which perform the function of escutcheon plates, the plate 2 carrying the latch slide mechanism (not shown) which is suitably connected at one end to the latch bolt 3 and at the other end to the connected spindle portion of the knobs 4 r). This latch slide connection need not be shown, since it constitutes no part of my invention and may be of any of the well known forms now in use. The knob 4 may represent the outside knob. In many instances it is desirable to have what is termed a secret latch, which may be readily operated without the use of any key so as to free the knob, but which when in its normal position serves to lock the knob against rotation. By this means the occupant of a room fitted with this lock is guaranteed against intrusion save by one familiar with the operation of the secret latcl'i. The secret latch member itself in the particular form shown comprises a ring 6 mounted to slide on the part 7 of the knob shank.

Back of the ring 6 is a recess in the knob containing a spring 8, the function of which is to force said ring ahead toward the rose plate or equivalent member 9, which in turn may be carried by plate 1. ithin the ring is an imvardly projecting and longitudinally arranged lug 1.0.

In the form shown there are two of these lugs oppositely arranged. The number of the lugs is, of course, immaterial. The part 7 of the lugs 10-10 011 the inner side of the ring 6 is grooved or recessed. The edge of the rose plate 9 is also grooved or recessed, as at l21.2, to receive said lugs l0-l0. The rose plate is prefer ably reduced at its recessed end so as to project into the edge of ring 6 so that the notched portion will be hidden. Ring 6 preferably has a central rib or annular extension 6, which is of slightly larger diameter than the shank of the knobs or of the rose plate so as to give an easy finger grip. This annular ridge (5 may be knurled or otherwise. ornamented and so designed as to apparently be merely an ornamental part of the handle or knob shank, so that the unfamiliar user would not have his suspicions aroused as to its true character. The length of each of the lugs 10 is such that when the ring 6 is pro jected forwardly toward the rose plate 9, the lugs will stand in each of the grooves or recesses ll1l and 1212, thereby securely coupling or interlocking the knob 4 and rose plate 9, and the latter being ridged will prevent the knob from turning. The retractive movement of the ring 6 will be suliicient to remove the lugs 1010 from the knobs l2l2, at which moment the knob will be freed or uncoupled from the rose plate 9, so that it may be rotated to retract latch bolt 3.

I have not shown any means at the inner side of the door for operating the ring 11, but various means may be devised and employed for that purpose if desired. Such devices are frequently employed on gates, and hence in such a connection there would be no occasion whatever to provide means to operate the ring from the inner side, since the user couldv readily reach over the gate and operate the same by hand. In this application, therefore, I deem it unnecessary to show additional means for operating the latch from the inner side of the lock. In fact, in such a construction the knob 5 might be entirely omitted, or the knob 5 might be made to operate the latch 3 independently of the knob L.

l/Vhat claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a knob having a shank, a non-rotatable rose plate or hearing for said shank, a retractable coupling device between said shank andsaid bearing, the said coupling device in one position interlocking the knob With said nonrotatable bearing and when in another posi-- tion freeing said parts, said shank having a concealed groove or recess, a locking lug, and a knob shank bearing having a concealed groove or recess for a locking lug, and locking lugs carried by said coupling device and adapted to said grooves or recesses.

2. In a device of the character described, a knob having a shank and non-rotatable rose plate or hearing for said shank and retractable coupling device between said shank and said bearing, said shank having a groove or recess and concealed lug on the inner side of said coupling device, adapted for movement in said groove, said bearing having a notch to receive said lug in one position to lock the bearing and shank.

3. In a device of the character described, a knob having a shank and non-rotatable rose plate or bearing for said shank, a locking ring slidably mounted on said shank, said bearing provided With a reduced portion extending under said ring, and lug depending from the interior of said ring, and groove or recess in said shank receiving and guiding said lug and a notch in the reduced portion of said bearing, adapted to be engaged by said lug.

4. Ina device of the character described,

, a knob hav'inga shank and non-rotatable rose plate or bearing for said shank, a locking ring slidably mounted on said shank, said bearing provided With a reduced por tion entering under said ring, said knob having a groove adapted to receive and conceal said ring, a spring in said groove normally pressing against said ring, a lug depending i'rorn the interior of said ring, a groove or recess in said shank receiving and guiding said lug, and a notch in the reduced portion of said bearing adapted to be engaged by said lug.

5. In a device of the character described, a knob having a shank and a groove extending into said knob, and rose plate or bearing for said shank having a reduced extremity, a ring adapted. to slide upon both shank and reduced portion of said bearing and partially contained Within said groove, a spring Within said. groove pressing upon said ring, a lug carried. on the inner side of said ring, a groove provided in the shank to receive and guide said lug, and a notch provided in the reduced portion of the bearing adapted to be engaged by said. lug in one position to lock the said parts.

HENRY G. VOIGHT.

I/Vitnesses:

M. S. WIARD, CHAs. E. RUssELL 

